Corporette.com

Updated: Feb 28, 2021 233 Comments · by

Splurge Monday’s Workwear Report: Stretch-Wool Three-Quarter-Sleeve Sheath Dress

The Personal Shopper (TPS) |

This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

I don’t know if I can justify dropping four figures on a work dress, but if I had to, this might be the one I would pick.

There’s nothing particularly groundbreaking about this dress from Michael Kors Collection, except for the fact that it’s practically perfect in every way. The three-quarter-length sleeves are always my preference — long enough to be worn without a jacket, but not annoying if you decide to throw a blazer on — and the length is just right.

While a crewneck isn’t always my favorite (is it too much to ask for a slight scoop?), I think I’d be willing to overlook it given how flattering the rest of the cut is. The takeaway here is that I’m going to bookmark this one and say a little prayer for a lucky sale.

The dress is $1,875 at Saks Fifth Avenue and comes in sizes 0–16.

Two more affordable options are from Ann Taylor, and both are available in regular, petite, and tall sizes — one with short sleeves and one with elbow-length sleeves. This navy sheath dress from Lands' End is $70 (marked down from $100) and available in sizes 18W–26W.

Sales of note for 10.10.24

  • Nordstrom – Extra 25% off clearance (through 10/14); there's a lot from reader favorites like Boss, FARM Rio, Marc Fisher LTD, AGL, and more. Plus: free 2-day shipping, and cardmembers earn 6x points per dollar (3X the points on beauty).
  • Ann Taylor – Extra 50% off sale (ends 10/12)
  • Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything plus extra 25% off your $125+ purchase
  • Boden – 10% off new styles with code; free shipping over $75
  • Eloquii – Extra 50% off a lot of sale items, with code
  • J.Crew – 40% off sitewide
  • J.Crew Factory – 50% off entire site, plus extra 25% off orders $150+
  • Lo & Sons – Fall Sale, up to 35% off
  • M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
  • Neiman Marcus – Sale on sale, up to 85% off
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – 50% off 2+ markdowns
  • Target – Circle week, deals on 1000s of items
  • White House Black Market – Buy one, get one – 50% off full price styles

Sales of note for 10.10.24

  • Nordstrom – Extra 25% off clearance (through 10/14); there's a lot from reader favorites like Boss, FARM Rio, Marc Fisher LTD, AGL, and more. Plus: free 2-day shipping, and cardmembers earn 6x points per dollar (3X the points on beauty).
  • Ann Taylor – Extra 50% off sale (ends 10/12)
  • Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything plus extra 25% off your $125+ purchase
  • Boden – 10% off new styles with code; free shipping over $75
  • Eloquii – Extra 50% off a lot of sale items, with code
  • J.Crew – 40% off sitewide
  • J.Crew Factory – 50% off entire site, plus extra 25% off orders $150+
  • Lo & Sons – Fall Sale, up to 35% off
  • M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
  • Neiman Marcus – Sale on sale, up to 85% off
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – 50% off 2+ markdowns
  • Target – Circle week, deals on 1000s of items
  • White House Black Market – Buy one, get one – 50% off full price styles

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

About Elizabeth

Elizabeth is a 30-something lawyer living on the East Coast. She spent seven years as a Biglaw associate in NYC, three years as a partner at a medium-sized firm, and is now in-house counsel for a large company. She loves Diet Coke, '90s sitcoms, and dresses with pockets.

Comments

  1. Door Color

    If you were painting a front door, would you go deep cobalt blue (like Benjamin Moore Wild Blueberry) or a rich navy (very on trend – Sherwin Williams Naval).

    House is white and stone with gray shutters. Style of the neighborhood is traditional, mostly homes built in the 1930’s. We would be painting in a high gloss and hardware could be black or gold colored.

    • Anonymous

      I would do the SW Naval or FB Inchyra Blue which feels particularly on trend as a blue with strong green undertones.

      I like a trendy color for the front door as it’s a super easy way to refresh the house by changing it up every five years or so. With white with stone and grey shutters you have tons of color options.

      • Door Color

        Thank you! Yes, it’s a fun way to just make it a little more interesting and I’m pretty sure we could get away with any color we wanted.

        Husband and I have been scouring our local salvage warehouse for a funky door knocker.

        • Anonymous

          There are lots of online antique salvage shops which sell door hardware too. If you know a specific model or maker you can even search on eBay!

          • Door Color

            It’s funny you say this because husband just sent me a couple from a website like this.

    • Elby

      I did a deep cobalt blue last year, regretted it and replaced with Sherwin Williams Naval with black hardware and am now obsessed with it.

      • Door Color

        Oooo. Interesting! Care to share why?

        As a note: I really WANT Cobalt but am afraid it’s too easy to go ‘primary color’ blue.

        • anon

          I think it can veer very quickly into HERE’S MY BLUE DOOR! territory. What about doing the navy door but adding cobalt planters flanking your front stoop?

        • Anon

          I feel like some blues are too saturated so they look Blue!, but it also depends on where you live and the type of sunlight you get. Bright colors in a sunny place look way better than in the cloudy northeast, right? But if you do want to go cobalt I feel like Farrow & Ball colors always look great in person and aren’t oversaturated.

          • Curious

            Oh I don’t know! We saw magenta doors in Seattle yesterday, and after a long gray winter both my partner and I were 100% heart eyes maybe we should do this. We generally love color, though (I adore that I found a man who likes brights!).

        • Elby

          While I love the look on other homes, somehow it looked tacky/amateur hour on my own home (light yellow with white trim). Just wasn’t quite right even though I wanted to go bold.

    • Anon

      Naval.

      In case you’re thinking of another color, one of my favorite homes (it’s been years and I still remember this!) had a similarly colored and aged home and had a sunflower gold door. Beautiful without being in-your-face.

      • Anon

        Our front door is bright yellow, with a brass door knocker in the shape of a pineapple. There is no such thing as a door that is too bright!

    • Anon

      I actually have this color scheme. White siding, gray shutters and soffiting, blue double front door. Brushed nickel door hardware. The blue is very similar to the Benjamin Moore paint you mentioned, but a bit more gray than green in undertone.

      Before that, we had a dark door, and if your house gets western exposure I do NOT recommend it. It gets chalky and streaky from fading very quickly.

    • NYNY

      If you want cobalt, then do cobalt or close to it. Maybe tone it down with a little grey of you’re worried it will be too much? Navy is fine, and definitely trendy, but it sounds like it’s your compromise color.

      • Curious

        +1, and that blueberry color is greened enough that I think it wouldn’t scream “This is my blue door”, lol :). For what it’s worth, I sighed ohhhhhhh with how pretty it is when I looked it up :)

        • Senior Attorney

          And may I just add that I am not at all bothered by a scream of “this is my blue door!” Scream it out, Door, says I!

    • Anone

      I vote cobalt. There’s a house in my neighborhood that looks the way I envision your house- very classic looking white, with a bright cobalt front door and a funky gold doorknocker, complete with some elegant potted plants on the front porch. Every time I pass it I think how striking it looks.

    • Ribena

      In terms of ‘this is my COLOUR door’, it’s not a bad thing. As a kid and teen, it made my life so much easier to be able to tell my friends that my house was the one with the red front door. (Not all the houses on my road had particularly prominent numbers visible from the road)

    • Navy (and black)

      SW “Naval” and Farrow & Ball “Railings” are my favorite navy blues. If you ever want the perfect black, consider SW “Tricorn Black.”

  2. Hot Market

    DH and I been planning to move for the last year or so, and my neighbor just sold his home for a ridiculous amount. I’ve confirmed with several agents that we can expect a similar sales price due to market conditions, so I feel like now is the time. We love our current home (we built it), but it is in a noisy location and we haven’t gotten used to it in the five years we have lived here. The plan was to buy a similar home in a quieter area which would be significantly more expensive. My husband is now having second thoughts and thinks we should use the money we’ve been saving to invest in rental properties or something else entirely so it will work for us. While I appreciate his growing interest in personal finance, I have been saving for this for a while and it will be disappointing not to do it. Do we need a marriage counselor or a financial advisor? I am only half joking because I am not really sure where we go from here. Our finances are otherwise in good shape and the new house would not be a stretch for our finances, in fact it would be only 100k-200k more than what I expect our current home will get.

    • Anonymous

      Biggest question is do you have the time to deal with rental properties. And also how stable is the rental market in your area.

      My BFF and her DH have three rental properties. She only works 2.5 days a week and spends time on her off days fielding calls from tenants and keeping track of payments from tenants and their expenses like insurance or coordinating plumbers/fridge delivery etc. And they have been mostly lucky with good tenants. Getting rid of one bad tenant ate through about six months of profits via legal fees.

      Her dad is a retired maintenance guy and does some stuff for them but her DH still spends a couple evenings a month dealing with the properties in terms of contractors/tenant issues etc.

      If you don’t have kids, are you planning kids and how will the time responsibilities of being a landlord factor into that?

      • OP

        We don’t have kids and won’t be having kids. DH has plenty of time to deal with it as he works from home in a flexible job, and both our families have invested in real estate so we know what we are getting into to some extent. I am not opposed to doing it, I am just opposed to not getting the nicer house to do it.

      • EB

        We have one rental – our starter home that we kept – and our first tenants off the bat are a nightmare. We will likely be in the same boat where we spend our profit on an attorney. My husband previously had a rental property that had the same tenants for ten years and they were lovely. I don’t regret keeping the house because its in a rapidly appreciating area of town, but I do regret not being more stringent about who we rent to. So I’m not sure this comment helps much, but I think the point I wanted to make is that becoming a landlord is not without risk.

      • Anonymous

        While I was going to say, only get into rental properties if you are ready to Run A Business, I have had three rentals my whole career and I probably spend 10-15 days a year in total doing things for them on them. What is she doing?

    • Anonymous

      Marriage counselor and financial advisor. One to discuss communication and one to discuss the finances.

      • OP

        How does one find a decent financial advisor? Is that really the right person to talk to about this? We went to a highly recommended financial advisor a few years ago and he basically told us what you could find on any basic financial blog so we were not impressed.

        • Curious

          Yeah, this has been our experience. The only reason I’d do this is to get real talk on the actual investment prospects of a rental property, since they don’t always appreciate as expected relative to expense, if your husband would listen to a third party on that better than you. But it sounds like he’s anxious about money, so a counselor who can help you hear each other out might be better!

    • No Face

      Can you afford the move? If your desired area is more expensive normally, it could be incredibly expensive now that inventory is so, so low. I can sell my house for more now, but the other houses are more expensive too!

      • OP

        Yes we can afford it without issue. Luckily the prices in our neighborhood have gone up a significant amount more than the general area.

    • anon

      This is a great year to sell, and a difficult year to buy what you want at a reasonable price. That is dependent on where you live of course. The housing market in my area (north Texas) is very overpriced which would make buying a rental property at a price point it can cash flow particularly difficult.
      You need to do some real research, beyond the rosy numbers various websites will put in front of you for buying a rental. If you are looking for a deal you may be hunting for a while or buying in a different location than you originally planned. And you need to have a realistic outlook on what it will take to manage the house (time and money) and fixing up the house you ultimately buy (more time and money).
      As a rental owner I laugh when people talk about how rentals will be a cash flow source. If you’re very lucky and your house(s ) don’t have issues, sure it might cash flow but are you ready to spend whatever amount of money is required to keep the house fixed up? I assume here you aren’t going to be an unethical or otherwise awful landlord. Are you willing to put the needs of the rental over your own home? That could look like spending money to replace HVAC or other major items if it breaks at the rental vs remodeling or working on the house you actually live in. Rentals can be part of a portfolio to grow wealth, but they are not easy, and are not a low risk investment. Further they may break even for cash flow but give you some massive equity when you go to sell. Equity isn’t going to cover all the endless maintenance costs as the house experiences wear and tear of being lived in.
      Rentals aside, have you considered selling your house now, and getting an apartment to live in while you house hunt? It would alleviate the pressure to find your forever house immediately. It’s a big hassle, but if you’re chasing a high sale price for your house, this is a way to lock that in, while giving you time to search for the next house.

      • OP

        Thank you for this perspective. I understand the difficulty involved in rentals and we aren’t locked into rentals for that reason. The question is really about spending more on our personal home or saving that money to invest in rentals or other investments. We cannot comfortably live in an apartment because of our large breed dog that barks a lot, but we don’t need to do that because as I mentioned elsewhere the prices are not crazy in the area I want to buy.

    • anon a mouse

      If you stay where you are, can you invest in noise-reducing measures that will improve your quality of life? I would place a premium on being content where you live, and would not prioritize getting a rental property over that. If you can find a cheaper place that you’ll be happy with, then sure, invest in rental properties. But when I was an accidental landlord I found It really hard to stomach that my tenants got shiny new appliances after the old ones broke while I lived with mediocre ones. You come first.

      • OP

        I looked into soundproofing. According to the contractor I spoke to, we have taken all the noise-reducing measures we can except replacing every window and opening the walls to swap out the insulation with a sound dampening material. The cost to do all of that would not be worth it.

        • anon

          If you decide to stay where you are, I would spend the money on this. If you haven’t already, I would also talk to a landscape architect about how you could potentially structure the outdoors to dampen sound.

          It could be “worth it” if it means you can stay in and enjoy the home you built for another 10-15 years and invest your money elsewhere. A financial advisor might be able to help here, or you may just need to run some numbers. If you spent $20K of your savings to soundproof your current home, how much money would you have to invest (on property or mutual funds or whatever)? What return could you expect? If you built a home in your target area, could you expect it to appreciate significantly?

        • Bonnie Kate

          New windows make a HUGE difference. In our starter house we only had 5 windows that we ended up replacing all at once, and I wasn’t expecting any kind of sound difference but it was astonishing. That plus our roof being replaced meant that we never heard our noisy neighbors any more.

          • Anonymous

            We did spray in foam insulation and new windows in our mudroom and it wasn’t a big deal. I would get a real estimate for that rather than dismissing it based on an incorrect assumption you need to pull out the dry wall.

          • OP

            Interesting. We have regular insulation now and it is my understanding you can’t add spray in foam to that. I will double check with the contractor. Unfortunately it doesn’t help the outside, which is a big piece of the issue since we cannot enjoy any outdoor living.

    • No Problem

      I think being happy in the home you’re living in is more important than the potential cash flow you’ll get from a rental property right now.

      If I were in your shoes, I would buy the house that makes me happy to live in, and then save up to buy a rental property in a couple years. You’re not shutting down the idea of rental properties, just deferring it until you’re happier with your living arrangement. This isn’t a purely financial decision: it’s also about what makes you happy home-wise. If you really want outside help on this decision, I would invest in the marriage counselor to discuss why one spouse feels an investment property is a better use of money than upgrading your living situation that you’re not happy with, and vice versa.

    • eye

      I don’t think you will find a financial advisor that will satisfy your needs. Your prior experience was similar to ours, if you just search randomly for a financial advisor. If you have some very wealthy friends who have a very well respected advisor who will sit with you for a one time consultation and you know this person is very well respected and your husband will respect them (!) then you could try it. But the advisor may very well tell you to do what your husband wants!

      I would see the counselor instead. This is sounding like a fundamental value issue, and that your husband is bored and is not considering your needs and trying to explode your long held plan. Maybe he needs a hobby.

    • Anonymous

      Wouldn’t investing the money in your primary residence make it “work for you” just as much as a rental property, or even more? I find it hard to imagine that a rental property would actually generate income beyond just the appreciation on the value of the property, once you’ve factored in maintenance and other expenses.

    • Anon

      You deserve to live in a house you love, and you can afford it. You’ve been saving for it. This feels like your husband pulling the rug out from under you, and long-laid plans that you both made. That’s a him problem, in that it’s up to him to convince you to change priorities. You’re perfectly within your rights to say no.

  3. anon

    I have zero trouble committing to cardio exercise. It challenges me, but I also really enjoy it. However, I know I need to do a better job adding strength and resistance training to my regimen. I just haaaaate it and find it deeply unpleasant. Any tips for learning to like it more, or programs that might be good for someone who is in relatively good shape but new to strength training? I have been following a few of the individual workouts on Aaptive. They’re good, but unless I do the same workout every time, it’s hard to see much progress (evidence that I’m getting better). I think I do better when there’s a gradual ramp-up over time. Like Couch to 5K, but for strength training.

    • Cb

      I am also terrible at this but I did one of those fitness blender 3 day strength things and the instructor said to turn on the TV to your favourite show. And only watch that show while you’re doing strength activities. I’m neutral on TV and on strength training, so it didn’t work for me but may work for you.

        • Curious

          This is what Gilmore girls or another old show you’d like to rewatch where you don’t need every detail is for :)

        • pugsnbourbon

          This is where documentaries come in handy! Especially something like Forensic Files where it’s heavy on narration.

    • Atlien

      Peloton app has strength classes that I really enjoy, and there is one organized “program” that lasts about a month, with “tests” at the beginning and end so you can see progress. The Bodybuilding.com website/app is also great for strength programming.

    • Anon

      You’re active and in decent shape. If you don’t like doing strength training, don’t do it. Being active and fit doesn’t have to involve any specific workout or routine…. especially one you hate.

      • Anonymous

        +1. The hype now is for heavy lifting. That’s cool if that’s your thing, but the benefits it sounds like you want (functional strength, bone health, etc.) can be gained with high rep, low weight lifting. Like curling 8 pound weights in front of the TV at night versus squatting with a bar.

    • Anonymous

      For me, I have to tie strength training to a goal. I am outdoorsy and the sports that I enjoy outdoors will definitely be more enjoyable when I am stronger. I try to tie my workouts to those activities and then not beat myself up the rest of the time. For example, I try to do lunges to help with my skiing, but I don’t force myself to do three or four strength workouts a week.

      • anon

        This is a good point. Maybe I need to think of this as my water sports training.

    • Shelle

      I do workouts on popsugar fitness that are called both “strength” and “cardio” in the title. It’s like circuit training but with small hand weights worked into many of the exercises. Sydney Cummings also has some great ones free on youtube. Static lifting weights is a little boring for me, so I look for workouts that are more like HIIT with a little bit of equipment, like hand weights, an exercise band, or a medicine ball. Not sure if that’s what you’re looking for.

    • Anon

      You can build muscles with cardio if that’s your jam. Step aerobics is cheesy but fun and great for legs.

    • No Face

      Body pump is light weights with lots of reps to upbeat music. Also, power yoga can be good for strength.

      • Anon

        Yes to body pump. I signed up for Les Mills On Demand after the comments about it here last week and I’ve already done it twice and love it! I feel very motivated to do it (hoping that doesn’t wear off.)

        • No Face

          It is my favorite form of exercise by far. The first exercise I ever really loved, after a very sedentary life.

    • Anon

      Seeing my mother go through hell with her bone density problems is enough motivation for me. Once you lose that mass, it’s gone forever, and her Fosamax treatment has been painful and full of side effects.

      • Monday

        But usually that comes from lack of any weight-bearing exercise at all. Even walking counts as weight-bearing. I believe basically all cardio would?

        • Curious

          Yeah the term is a bit of a misnomer — I might double click. Most of yoga counts as weight bearing, which was surprising to me.

      • Anon

        Bone density can be built and maintained through a variety of weight bearing activity, not just strength training workouts. The best activity is the one you enjoy doing and WANT to do.

      • Curious

        From the NIH (because I was Curious, haha..ha..):
        Weight-bearing and resistance exercises are the best for your bones. Weight-bearing exercises force you to work against gravity. They include walking, hiking, jogging, climbing stairs, playing tennis, and dancing. Resistance exercises – such as lifting weights – can also strengthen bones. Other exercises such as swimming and bicycling can help build and maintain strong muscles and have excellent cardiovascular benefits, but they are not the best way to exercise your bones.

        So apparently it’s about gravity!

    • CHL

      I know some people have trouble with the MLM part of it, but I like the 21 day fix programs on BeachBody on Demand. It’s a ramp up, very structured, you can see and feel progress and it’s, you can do anything for 21 days…

    • Airplane

      Sorry, I can’t help you because I am the opposite – love strength training and power yoga but zero motivation for cardio unless it is hiking. So I hike. I go on walk/runs with audio guidance, but it’s a drag and I need to schedule a treat for myself after I complete it. I try to remember it’s important for cardio vascular health. Can you do that for strength training? Maintaining muscle mass as we age is important to prevent injury, cushion falls, increase bone density.

    • Anonymous

      Are you me? Seriously. I am currently tackling the same goal with the same pro-cardio fitness preferences and am doing the LIIFT4 program on Beachbody On Demand. I just started week 5 of 8 and have noticeable improvements in my strength and can tell I have gained muscle in a few places (my hamstrings and triceps specifically). I really recommend it because it teaches all the basic moves for all the major muscle groups. Just by learning how to actually strength train, I’m enjoying it more. Highly recommend. I’m also trying to get in 4-5 20-minute interval workouts on the treadmill becuase I love running so much and need it for my mental health.

      • anon

        OP here, and YES — cardio, especially running, is a big thing I do to manage stress and keep my anxiety disorder at bay. I do not notice the same type of benefit from weight training, but I know it’s really important to maintain muscle mass as I get older. I’ve heard enough good things about Beachbody that I should probably give it a go.

    • Ribena

      I love barre and hybrid yoga/Pilates type workouts for this. Lately I’m using Melissa Wood Health for them – worth a try? Also barre through Down Dog is excellent.

    • Seafinch

      I love the Sweat App because it takes all the thinking out and gradually ramps up in a very deliberate way. I have enjoyed phenomenal results and stuck with it for over a year. I didn’t like the haphazard, on-demand style of Beach Body (though you can always cherry pick work-outs on the Sweat App, too).

  4. fara

    I think someone might have posted about something like this, but I’m not sure where.

    I’m looking for an electric kettle that:
    – has multiple temperature settings
    – can be set up to automatically turn on at a certain time
    – the water can be “kept warm”

    I think ideally I would want to say, come down to my perfectly steeped cup of tea at 7:30am every day but I don’t know if that’s possible. These two criteria at least get there.

  5. nuqotw

    For the first time in nearly a year the kids are out of the house for the day!

    • Anonymous

      This is so awesome! I have young kids and elem is still in hybrid so I TOTALLY know what you mean. I do want to mention though that I think this sentiment (expressed, as yours was, absent other context) is what gets the teachers all wound up about being caregivers. In our town this sentiment easily gets spun into “teachers are not front line troops we send into a dangerous situation so you have child care/ a quiet house.”

      What I’m sure you meant–because I mean it too– is OH MY GOD I am so glad these kids get to go back to their “normal” routine, and GTFO this house because they have been cooped up and not learning as well for an entire year and there is finally a glimmer of light at the end of this very dark tunnel.

      Happy monday!!!

    • Anon

      One kid went back for the first time since last March. She is going into a school she has never set foot in with multiple building and does not know which class is where, where the lunch room is, how she will lug all books and binders and chromebook and charger (b/c they are still on zoom even though live). The 3-4 kids in each class may not know where they go next (likely: all in different directions). Tomorrow is a B day (today is an A day), so that schedule will be different. She is in person for 5 days this week and then home for 2 weeks; then repeat; then repeat but for spring break. One more repetition maybe and they are done for the year. It is better than nothing, but perhaps not by much.

      I know that our idiot school district (led by an idiot board with one non-idiot) needs now to figure it out so they don’t eff up next year also, but OMFG this is such a disaster. Our neighboring counties are in person and have been and the sky isn’t falling there. I am considering renting a 2BR apartment while keeping my city house if things aren’t better by June. There are no private-charter-Catholic spots left and I fear that public education in my district will never be forgiven for their disasterous leadership and singular inability to figure it out (and rightly so — this is not something I will forgive/forget and tell anyone who asks with a kid in pre-K not to go to public school if they can avoid it).

      #LeadershipMatters

      • anon

        Yeah, I’d be raising h-e-l-l in your situation. School districts across the country have figured this out and are doing well. Does the school year look different? Of course, but kids are getting the in-person education that they really, really need. Source: Kids attending the second-largest public district in our state. We were in a hot spot for a few months, and no outbreaks were traced to the schools. I have been very impressed with the level of forethought and planning.

      • Anonymous

        I am beginning to wonder if there is a school board in the country where every parent is happy with the decisions (or even a majority). It feels to me like its a position that can do not right at this point.

        • Anonymous

          There is “not happy” and “feeling standby.” Guess where I am on that spectrum?

        • AFT

          I’m sure there isn’t. My school is going from hybrid to close-to-full-time as of a decision last week & starting in April, and while my friends were all complaining about the late change and amount of disruption it would cause, the in-person commenters at the board meeting were all upset that the change was set to take effect a month later and would not be completely normal return to full time. There are no good options that work for everyone, so it ends up being a “pick the least bad option that works for most.”

      • Anonymous

        I have been trying to convince my husband that we should temporarily move to a neighboring county because our school board is similarly dim-witted. It’s not the worst idea in the world. Renting an apartment would be cheaper than private school tuition, and there are not going to be any private school spots in our daughter’s grade.

        • AIMS

          Pre pandemic, we had a neighbor who was in a teeny one bedroom during the school week in order to send his kids to a special immersion private school during the week. On Fridays they went back to a house in the suburbs somewhere & then back to school Monday morning. It really was very doable somehow.

      • No Face

        I know a friend of a friend who rented an apartment somewhere else for school during the pandemic. My special needs kid really suffered with virtual school, so I would have absolutely done that if necessary. Thankfully she has been back in person for months.

      • Anon

        One problem is that some school districts have vaccinated teachers but not their household members who may be higher risk (but who aren’t essential workers). People are having to decide whether to quit their jobs over situations like this. Compliance with safety measures varies widely in different places too.

        I’ve personally never forgiven public education for own my own experience as a school kid, so that’s my bias.

    • Sunshine

      Enjoy yourself! I hope you’re all alone at home, which is the best after a lot of time with other people around.

  6. Anon

    for those of you with big jobs, hectic schedules, commutes or if you’re a doctor or teacher or something where you can’t just leave in the middle- how do you buy a house? we live in a hot market and need to be able to see homes with less than 24 hour notice, but DH literally has calls ALL day while at work and I’m in a job where I also have a full day of appointments. do you just miss out on houses if they become available during one of your crazy weeks?

    • Anonymous

      You wait until the market isn’t as crazy because this bubble is going to burst? (I am really down on the RE market right now, if you can’t tell.) Otherwise, you trust your realtor and may have to make a move in a really hot market without all the information.

      • Anonymous

        I’d be careful with this advice there are lots of places where for various reasons the markets are incapable of failing. I live in one of those cities and so many folks who had your view have been priced out while waiting for the crash that is never coming.

        • Anonymous

          Nothing is “incapable of failing.” That’s how we got 2007/2008. You must be under 30.

          • Curious

            That crash barely affected home prices in several major metros. The worst hit areas were Florida and Southern California, with collateral damage elsewhere. If I remember correctly (it’s been a while), the Bay Area and Boston barely saw a blip.

          • Anonymous

            I am not! I live somewhere that didn’t crash in 2007/2008, somewhere that has never faced losses.

          • Anonymous

            I’m in Atlanta, so they fell but came back with a vengeance. It just feels like they can’t keep going up like this.

          • Anon

            not OP, but 2008 barely affected my home’s value. I’m in the Bay Area, in a close-in city where there are no newly built tract homes.

      • anon

        Yeah unfortunately beware of waiting too long. I said this exact thing in 2017. I’m glad we ended up buying (despite feeling like we were overpaying) because prices have only continued to rise since then.

        • Anon

          +1, I bought in 2016 and now use it as a rental property. It’s not even in a particularly nice neighborhood but has appreciated $250k or so in five years. Very glad I pulled the trigger.

    • Anonymous

      I saw houses at early hours or late hours, like 7am or 8pm my realtor was incredibly accomodating. Often I viewed houses alone when DH was unable to get off work. He trusted my judgement about which homes to bid on and which to pass. Occasionally if use my lunch breaks for viewings too.

    • Anon

      How do you go to the doctor or dentist for an urgent problem? I know you can’t do it ALL the time, but if you needed a root canal or an xray, you would go, right? I guess since you can’t do this all the time, be as selective as possible when choosing which houses to see.

      • anon

        You just don’t get sick/hurt. Only slightly kidding. I have done stiches on myself.

        You take care of health needs on your vacation.

        • Anon

          If this is how your job rolls, it’s pointless to ask about how to see houses. You see them on your vacation obviously.

        • anon

          I’m sorry but I can assure you that your job is not So Important that you need to be doing stitches on yourself.

          • Anon

            If I was a doctor, I’d probably do my own stitches to avoid the frustration of going to an ER. Not to have more time to work, just because DIY home stitches, if done properly sounds way better.

          • Anon

            You can’t do it on your hands, back, elbow so it’s kind of limiting to do your own stitches.

    • Anon

      See them after work – I’ve definitely look at houses in the evening on weekdays.

    • Cat

      We mostly went after work but ended up getting our place because we were looking within walking distance of our current place, and a house was listed the day of a massive snowstorm that kept people away.

    • Anon

      When do you get off work? You need a realtor who is willing to show you places in the evening. It’s not ideal, and you will probably miss out on seeing a place or two, but it’s not impossible.

    • Anon

      should’ve added. we also have two young children. so evenings are equally challenging. and yes, if there is an emergency we ‘make’ time, but we are just starting to see homes and we can’t have multiple ’emergencies’ a week for a couple of months as we look at homes. i obviously realize we aren’t the only ones in this position, but are feeling kind of overwhelmed

      • NYCer

        If you see a listing you like, can one of you go see the house in the evening to “screen” it? Then if the first spouse likes it, you can schedule a time that you both can go back (even the next day if need be). At least someone would be home to babysit.

        • Anon

          This. Or even a friend or family member that you trust who has a list of your deal breakers. My retired MIL did this for us on several properties. She was delighted to go look at houses and was able to eliminate several on the front side for us.

        • Anon

          Yes – I have made offers without even stepping foot into the house. Pretty pathetic but necessary. Your realtor could facetime you or whatever. Just make sure to elect an inspection.

    • anon for this

      You see houses in the evening. You make liberal use of the 3-D tours online, where available. You use a buyers’ agent who will tour houses for you (or go to brokers’ opens) to see if they will meet your criteria or have dealbreakers. One of you goes, not both. You don’t sleep as much. Buying a house becomes a demanding second job, especially in this market.

    • Anon

      I worked one of those jobs and remember being in a meeting across the country and having to slip out to respond to closing and escrow issues and having people on the other end ask if I couldn’t just pop into their office. HAHA no.

      Docusign helps a lot.

      To answer your question, most open houses are on Saturdays for a reason. I obsessively followed MLS for my target area and went to see those opens on Saturdays, every Saturday. My husband stayed home with our very little kids while I did this. He just trusted my taste. When the house we ultimately bought became available on MLS the second time (we missed out the first time, but then the sale fell through due to the buyer not getting a loan), I called my realtor and went to see it on a Wednesday afternoon. I knew it was the one, so I asked for an evening appointment the next day so my husband could see it. We signed escrow papers Friday and their Saturday open house was cancelled. That was the only day I took off from work for the whole process of buying this house and selling out old house.

      not to say it wasn’t a lot of work, because it was, but it was do-able with two busy jobs including a lot of business travel and two very little kids.

      And the kids got the swingset they wanted so everyone was happy!

    • AFT

      Block off every morning until 9 or 9:30 a.m. (or whatever time you reasonably can) or after 5 or 5:30 p.m., and be ready to go at that time everyday. Hopefully it’s a short time you’re doing this, but honestly the schedule just has to give in situations like this.

    • Anon

      Go to a ton of open houses with your realtor so they know your taste and priorities and then hopefully you only need to do a few actual visits at the last minute; fit those in on lunch or at night or have your realtor FaceTime you if necessary.

  7. busybee

    This dress is beautiful but costs more than my monthly mortgage payment. I’m curious- for those of you who wear clothes at this price point, is your whole wardrobe upscale or do you also have pieces from the “regular” workwear brands like Ann Taylor?

    • fancy friends anon

      Not anywhere close to being able to afford today’s dress but several of my friends do dress/shop like this (which is great because then I sometimes get the pieces they no longer want). For the friends I’ve known for a while, it was a more gradual transition. For example, a couple friends started “high power” jobs where they cared about signaling a certain level of success to clients with nicer clothing/bags, so they got a few nicer pieces and then came to prefer specific brands. Eventually, they starting shopping more with those brands because they liked them, so those expensive brands came to comprise more and more of their wardrobe. I would hazard a guess that their wardrobe is smaller than mine if every new dress they buy now is $1,000+ compared to my numerous $30 clearance rack purchases.

      Another friend is incredibly particular about her bags and clothes, so is willing to pay for whatever meets her criteria whether it’s a bargain brand or designer. She once told me her v-necks are all Old Navy because it’s the only brand that fits her the way she likes, but I have also seen her wear multiple Gucci shoes. I find her to be the exception in that she still purchases a mix of high/low several years after beginning to buy designer items.

      I have no clue if this is normal, but these are my casual observations as someone who works in government but has wealthier friends.

    • Anon

      I wear clothes like this, but I buy them lightly used on ebay for 90% off. I use this approach for classic styles that I can wear for a long time (since at this price point, they last a long time). For trendier things, I buy from Target, Asos, or Banana Republic Factory.

    • Anonymous

      I buy clothes like this. I buy them all second hand. I also own mall brands but they are also purchased second hand to be used as casual clothes. I do this for both quality and environmental/ethical concerns.

    • Anonymous

      I have a few things in this range purchased new at a deep discount. I also wear The Fold, MMLF, and the J Crew Going Out blazer but nothing else from J Crew. I have found that when I buy stuff like Ann Taylor or Talbots I never end up wearing it because it looks cheap. It also pains me to spend as much on tailoring as I spent on the item, which is what inevitably happens with cheap stuff since I am hard to fit and all of my work clothes have to be altered.

    • Anon

      I have a friend who dresses in high end, expensive stuff. She has the “fewer, better” closet of my dreams. Instead of a shopping spree where she gets a bunch of stuff on sale like I would do, she would buy one item and really, really think about it before pulling the trigger. She works with a personal stylist.

      I’m envious, but what she does wouldn’t fit my lifestyle, especially my pandemic lifestyle!

  8. Anon

    A friend is apparently ghosting me (not really the right word). I lost a parent in January and my husband reached out to this person to let her know – he never heard back from her. (He’s closer to her and her husband than I am, but we are all friends). We sent them a separate small gift for an unrelated occasion last week, which she texted thanks to him for (using both our names). He asked if she got the first text telling her I lost my parent, after that – radio silence. I honestly don’t know what to make of it. I think she may be ignoring me because I’m not a Trump supporter – she is massively all in with him and I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s a conspiracy theorist or qanon – when we saw them last summer I tried to steer entirely clear of politics but someone else brought it up. Despite me being extremely low key, she seemed annoyed by my politics. She’s also not on social media so I know I didn’t do anything to offend her there.

    I’m utterly mystified, like why she can’t even text my husband “I’m sorry for your wife’s loss” or why she would acknowledge the gift if she’s so p*ssed at me. Weird, I am moving on, just venting!

    • Anonymous

      Why would you have sent a gift after she ignored your parent dying? Block her and her husband and move on

    • Anon

      I’m sorry that you seem to have lost a friend. It’s normal to feel sad about that, regardless of the reasons.

    • Why?

      Is she really the type of person you want to be friends with, if she is either qanon or Trump..or both?

      • Anon

        Good question – in response to this and the question about the gift, we’ve been friends for 30+ years so didn’t want to ditch the friendship if it was just a misunderstanding – which it’s increasingly clear it’s not

        • Anon

          Thirty years or not, is this relationship good for you today? If not, it’s over. Don’t fall into the sunken cost fallacy,

      • AFT

        It doesn’t sound like she wants to be friends with you, and I wouldn’t put any effort into her based on what you’ve described.

    • anon a mouse

      I’m sorry, that stinks. It’s really rude and you deserve better from a friend. Allow yourself some space to grieve as you move on. Hugs.

  9. Anonymous

    Ever since everyone at my firm started wfh, there’s a been a growing sense that the staff aren’t actually working hard. They now have to complete a weekly log describing what they did each day and how long each task took – like billing time. Management warned staff to not pad time because they know how long things should take.

    My (awesome!) secretary is beside herself. She’s very busy and sees this as a nonsense task she shouldn’t have to do. She thinks she’ll get in trouble for taking too long, so she proactively docks herself. She won’t add up her time to make sure she’s accounting for her whole day. I’ve talked to her about this but it isn’t sticking. I don’t get to see these logs, but I’ve heard that “some people” are only recording like 2 hours a day, and it’s been hinted to me that she’s in the crosshairs. I tell everyone I’m super happy with her, but that’s not going to matter if she’s putting it in writing that she’s only working 2 hours a day. Is there anything I can do here? I really don’t want to lose her!

    • A

      “ I tell everyone I’m super happy with her, but that’s not going to matter if she’s putting it in writing that she’s only working 2 hours a day. ”

      Tell her this.

      • OP

        I’ll be more direct with her and see if that helps. I feel like I’ve been pretty direct, though. The other day, I spent over an hour on the phone with her talking about various deadlines and also some small talk. I told her, here’s an easy entry for you! She said, oh no I can’t write down I talked to my attorney for an hour. Yes you can! That’s literally what’s being asked of you! This isn’t your lunch break! Please please please promise me you will write this down!

        Not that I really need another administrative task in my life, but I might ask/demand to see the logs.

        • Anonymous

          She’s fearing the wrong thing—worry over padding instead of worry looking like she isn’t doing anything. I’d be blunt on this distinction. Maybe give her a few examples of the sort of “softer” work you expect to regularly be in her log. Also give her permission to estimate up—I have someone who writes subject lines for emails. I have her put a minimum 15 min for touching—some will take less time and some will take more. It helps tremendously though in speeding logging and lessening the administrative burden. (Helps me, too in estimating workload.) Be more direct than you already have been—“if they don’t see x hours (hard and soft), you’re on the chopping block. They aren’t going to care what’s in this hours so much as that they are there.” Maybe also look at the tasks she’s given—I’m in another industry, but I know I lose a lot of time to “fixing”— is that something to address or at least give her permission to feel guiltless reporting? Training is another less tangible time suck. Find out what these time drains are and either change them or bring them to light. She needs to save herself here and you’re in the right place to show her how to do this. These aren’t billable hours for goodness sake. She needs to recognize the difference.

          • Anonymous

            Also “correspondence” is another legitimate area where time often leaks. Let her know time spent emailing is to be included just as much as filing, even though it may feel less productive. If she’s hesitant to report time spent in direct meetings, she’s likely docking this area as well.

    • Anonymous

      “Susan, it is your job to record your time. I know it’s nonsense, I know you are busy, but your job is in jeopardy if you don’t start doing this.”

    • Anonymous

      Your firm is stupid. These kinds of measures destroy morale, hurt good workers the most, and demonstrate a lack of trust. You should advocate for your secretary, explain that she’s docking her time, and try to push for a better policy. It’s really messed up that this only applies to staff. Unless management is also reviewing the lawyers’ billables weekly, it’s just a bad look.

      • Curious

        This is probably an “and” to do alongside following the coaching advice above. OP might not have enough leverage to make this change happen.

    • Anon

      Does she have the option to work in the office and not track time? My firm offered the staff both options and a surprisingly majority preferred working in the office. Probably in part because my firm also was not providing WFH equipment so they were less likely to have an up to date laptop and proper desk setup to use while remoting in. Attorneys work nights and weekends from home so we all already had good setups. I’m just an associate and have no say in those decisions. I would have provided an equipment allowance. With all of the attorneys at home, it is actually quite safe for the staff to be in the office. There is only one of them for every 4 or so of us so they are very spread out and don’t have to interact with each other. Some of them also prefer the paper files over the e-files.

    • MJ

      Does she understand that if she doesn’t look busy by recording her time, they may eliminate her job? This isn’t about personal efficiency–it’s about reducing headcount. She needs to understand this and protect herself by actually logging all of the work she does. All of it.

    • Jane

      Maybe to her it’s just one more way in a long list of ways your firm is demonstrating that she doesn’t matter. For a lot of non-attorney employees at law firms, this crisis has been an unpleasant look behind the curtain into how attorneys, especially attorneys in management, see us. Equipment – buy your own. Phone – we gave out your personal cell number to the client/opposing counsel, etc., but the firm surfacebook attorneys have use the firm direct dial numbers, you know – for privacy. Return to the office in the first wave because we need you there to deal with incoming FedEx, notarize client documents (in person!), accept deliveries and then scan to attorney email while attorneys stay safe at home. Oh, and since we don’t think you are doing as much for us anymore – out of sight out of mind – we’re going to fire some of you and distribute their workload among the lucky survivors. Keep up with all the new protocols, we’re increasingly paperless. Keep everyone up to date on which courts are closed, which are virtual and the ever-changing filing requirements for each. And record your time too, because clearly not everyone is actually Working from home.
      … A lot of us are stuck right now. We are doing our best, pulling together, hanging in there. The crisis will pass. The economy will improve. Then the best of us will move on to better positions.

  10. Anon

    I think much of this group is as Type A as I am, so: do you need to be frantically busy to get things done?

    My Covid plan was to stay at my dead-end but incredibly safe job, which I can do in my sleep at this point. I wanted to use the extra brain power to get some creative side projects off the ground, then revisit my job search once the world calmed down.

    Only, that hasn’t happened. The less I do, the more I snowball into inaction. I’m listless and bored at work, so my performance is starting to slip, and I haven’t had a single spark of creativity towards my side projects.

    I think I need the confusion and stress of a higher-level job to get my gears turning again, but that seems needlessly risky right now. I’m the sole wage earner (and health insurance provider) so I feel obligated to buckle down and get my act together…somehow.

    Thoughts?

    • Cat

      The old saying “if you want something done, ask a busy person” holds true for me. Productivity begets productivity. I wouldn’t say you need to go from “sloth” to “frantic” to reap the benefits, though…

    • Anon

      Can you find a way to have deadlines in your side projects? I bet you’d be way happier if the action and stress was coming from your creative projects.

    • anonshmanon

      I can relate somewhat. I operate better with a moderate cruising speed across areas of my life. When I make the effort to plan something fun on the weekend, then I somehow also get off my butt to do some cooking and little tasks that keep home life on track, and it translates into more motivation at work. It’s more likely that I let all areas slide than spending tons of energy on one area alone. If things are too easy on one front, I somehow manage to start wasting a ton of time at the other ends, thinking I can make it up easily. All this is said from someone without kids or other Big obligations. I find that when I have a serious volunteering gig going on, that helps me to feel more productive. A high-powered career would probably also do that, but I prefer a balance of more normal work hours and then volunteering.

    • Anonymous

      You are me!!!!

      I was initially frantic and trying to solve the world’s Covid problems (never mind that I work in PE and that is not what anyone cares for right now- High five Frontline workers!!). I have resumed the job hunting and as my City opens up, been meeting (outside) potential employers to feel out their position on resourcing in Covid times.

      It is also probably the first time in my life that I am reading three books simultaneously(two physical, one audio)- to add more ‘hecticness’ into my life. But most importantly, The Covid pace, allowed me to self reflect and make peace with not being busy.

  12. Anon

    Anyone done a day trip from NoVa to Richmond? Can you list a few activities you’d do? My favorite activity tends to be walking around a small downtown/cute part of town, coffee in hand, looking at architecture. Preference is for mostly outdoors though I think I’d be ok walking into a store here or there. I think Richmond does allow for that type of trip but not sure where and not sure how safe areas are now if it’s one of those cities with empty downtowns as people work from home.

    This would be for this spring post vaccine so while I know it’d be ok to go basically anyplace, I can’t see myself being ok in a museum or indoor restaurant for any length of time. I will have lived basically on lockdown for over a year and I’d think I’d then be ok with trips people were taking the whole time – masked, 80% outdoors, grab food but eat in the car etc. Unfortunately I’m not a hiking/woods person but I do like pretty gardens in/near cities. Thoughts?

    • emeralds

      Yes, Richmond would be perfect for this! Carytown, the Fan, and the Museum District are neighborhoods that are all right next to each other, where you can have a great time picking up a beverage, then going for a stroll and looking at all the pretty houses. Hanover and Grove are particularly nice for strolling, and then of course there’s Monument Avenue. (Richmond’s actual downtown is probably not your best bet, FWIW.)

      I’d suggest parking between Carytown and the Museum District (Floyd Avenue-ish), then going a couple blocks down to Sugar & Twine in Carytown to pick up your beverage. If you’re open to going inside stores, Mongrel and Clementine are both great; there are also a ton of other cute little stores. Then stroll over through the Fan and Monument Avenue to look at architecture. Make sure to walk through the Virginia Museum of Fine Art’s sculpture garden, even if you aren’t comfortable going inside (although I’ve heard from RVA friends that it’s a decent socially-distant inside option) (they also have a cute cafe if you want another coffee option).

      Other ideas: Maymont and Byrd Park are both great places to go for a stroll, and are close to where you’d be. Hollywood Cemetery would require a drive, but is also really nice and has great views of the river.

      If you want other recs for places to pick up drinks or snacks, let me know!

    • Anon

      Can’t speak to Richmond, but Fredericksburg lends itself to this nicely (don’t miss George Washington’s childhood home, Ferry Farm, on the outskirts – it was just rebuilt by Colonial Williamsburg and is awesome), as does Colonial Williamsburg. CW is especially gorgeous in spring with all their gardens.

      Having been out and about in both of those towns during the pandemic, yes, they’re safe. Wear your mask, walk around outdoors, and have a good time!

      Other options: Frederick, MD; Annapolis; Smithfield, VA; Charlottesville; Staunton.

      Speaking of pretty gardens, don’t forget Virginia Garden Week! https://www.vagardenweek.org/

    • Anonymous

      I’d park at the MFA and enjoy their sculpture garden, then walk around the Museum District looking at the pretty old houses. You might also enjoy Maymont or the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

    • Shelle

      The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and Maymont’s gardens are impressive and lovely. You may need tickets ahead of time. There’s also a renovated downtown waterfront to stroll along in the Shockoe Bottom neighborhood with some lovely old cobblestone streets. Carytown has some cute shops but I only visited in the before times so I’m not sure what’s open right now. Have fun!

    • Anon

      Sub Rosa Bakery in Richmond is amazing. If you are up for an overnight there is a lot to do – it’s a lovely small city with a number of beautiful parks and sculpture gardens

  13. Please send strength

    I am in the final week of my notice period at my current (toxic) job and just need to stay sane. My boss is a disorganized, scattered mess who pressured a new hire (for a completely different, far more entry-level role than the one I am vacating) into starting two weeks early so I can “train” them on my entire job. I have created documentation for as much as is possible and made sure boss and key players know where the documentation is. I have identified people with the appropriate skill sets and capacity to pass specific projects to. I gave a longer than standard notice so I could smooth the transition as much as possible, but couldn’t get boss to take it seriously that people need to meet with me so I can pass the torch. Boss is now panic-adding ridiculous items to my “training” list for the new hire that are just not possible to do or that would be an incredible waste of training time. I.e., schedule a random check-in meeting with a vendor for three months out? That is really a priority right now? Maybe maintaining your IT infrastructure should get a small bit of attention, ya think?

    I just need to get through this week. Send strength. Or alcohol. Or kittens.

    • Senior Attorney

      I can do two out of three: data:image/jpeg;base64,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

  14. Anonymous

    What are your favorite snack bars? I’m looking for something with low sugar and not having much luck. Must be able to survive in my bag and be edible while driving. Thanks!

        • busybee

          Really? Are you having the original ones that are just nuts and some coating, or the newer ones? I eat very little sugar and don’t find Kind bars sweet at all. My favorite is the dark chocolate nuts with sea salt

    • MagicUnicorn

      Cliff bars or Larabars were my go-to snacks for a while, although I prefer an apple or other piece of fruit lately for something portable and nutritious.

    • Anon

      If you eat meat, I prefer jerkey/meat sticks for this. Chomps brand has several good options.

    • Anon

      I like Larabars because of the added vitamins and the fact that I like their peanut butter chocolate flavor. The mint chocolate version tastes like a girl scout cookie (not my favorite for breakfast, which is how i usually use these, but good for a treat)

    • Anon

      Caveman Foods Paleo bars. I buy online, but I’m told they’re also at Costco.

  15. Anon

    Favorite foot creams? My favorite was discontinued. I want something that I can put on before bed and ideally will transform my feet overnight.

    • Anon

      I don’t think there’s anything that will magically transform your feet overnight unless you’re talking about a foot peel, which you’d do maybe once or twice a year, and takes 10 days to two weeks every time.

      I’m currently using Heel Chemistry by the Chemistry Brand (a Deciem company, like The Ordinary). The trick with any of these is to use them consistently. In the case of this product, I don’t love how it smells so I put it on before I wash my face, then put some socks on, then wash my hands and do my nightly skincare routine. I’m trying to make it a habit just as much as washing and moisturizing my face nightly is.

      • Airplane

        I love this product, don’t need it every night after I used it nightly consistently for about 2 months. But now my heels and feet are soft and I do not need the pedicures I used to get consistently every season.

    • AIMS

      O’Keefe’s Healthy Feet is as close to a miracle as I have found. I was impressed.

  16. Skirts- In or Out?

    Do people still wear skirts to work? Looking for non-skirt suit inspiration on wearing skirts.

    What skirts are you ladies looking at? Links appreciated.

    • Anon

      I’m in pajama pants right now, so no. A year ago I wore skirts all the time. I tended to wear them with a knit top or blouse plus long cardigan in my freezing cold office, or a tunic style top when I wasn’t in said freezing environment – like a loose linen top or a 3/4 sleeve blouse. I can’t stand things touching me too much when I’m overheated, so my tops for warm weather tend to be the kind of things you’d find in bougie boutiques in vacation-y places. (I don’t pay high end prices though, it’s easy to find them cheaper online)

  17. Anon

    Awhile back we talked about some of us realizing we get treated so much better when we are wearing make up and look “pretty” than otherwise. I was one of the original posters agreeing with that annoying phenomenon.

    Now in the work from home world I realize I need to sound happy and perky all of the time. Things just go so much smoother. If I sound at all run down, I start getting pushback and men that want to debate. My boss is just “happier” with me when I’m happy and perky (even if I’m faking it). It is freaking exhausting. It’s the equivalent of being told to smile.

    None of these things are explicit expectations (wear makeup! Pretend to be happy!) But OMG do I feel the expectation. I also see it in action. We tend to hire the people (both men and women actually) that were happy and perky in their interview and are less likely to hire the people that are more serious/sullen. Not sure if sullen is the right word here. I don’t mean visibly sad just not visibly happy.

    I just got off a call with co-counsel from another firm (older man) and felt the tenor of the conversation change (for the positive) when I decided to perk my voice up a bit. We are a year into a pandemic. We are allowed to just exist and not constantly be the cheerleader of every project. Ugh.

    • Anonymous

      I find that I still get treated well without makeup, but that I definitely have to be perky/friendly, especially when managing men. God forbid I ask a man to finish something he’s overdue on or to fix a sloppy report without several exclamation points and smiley faces. I do it anyway (I don’t owe anyone perky in the workplace), but I think it hurts me.

    • Anon

      OMG the men who want to debate can just go die. I am so, so, so sick of it. I’m 56 and in a male dominated field, and to add to the issue, I’m smarter than most of them (I don’t go around saying this, but it’s pretty obvious), so it seems to trigger the male impulse to debate everything to death, I suppose in order to take me down a notch. I’ve had a lifetime of this.

      Next time I have an office job, I’m bringing a blow torch.

    • Anonymous

      Since WFH started my DH had started to comment on my happy voice. I had to clarify to him that I am in no way shape or form happier at work than I am with him and the tone of my voice at work is almost 100% fake in order to more effectively do my job. He was just gobsmacked at that.

      • amberwitch

        Not just sound happy – have to exaggerate the mimic as well to convey energy through camera,
        My husband is soo impressed with me being on VC calls all day, being all upbeat and happy.
        For reference, he is a tenured professor, and has a backlog of recorded lectures for his classes, so he is in calls, I guess twice a week

    • Flats Only

      Yeah, the need for performative happiness is annoying. I was on an all-female call last week and you would have thought it was sorority rush. So much squealing, every sentence included “happy, excited, in love with”, etc., and the chat was full of heart and smiley emojis. Ugh. I am just not that person. I wear makeup, and do agree that my male bosses seem happier when I am “happy” (and wear a bright color) but it seems so much less aggravating to me than the overly girly enthusiasm that’s required online by other women in my org.

    • Anon

      I was considered the local office bitch at my last job because I refused to do this. I wasn’t unhappy or angry, but everyone (men and women) assumed I was and talked poorly about me because I wasn’t over the top neurotic.

    • Anon.

      This performative happiness seems also cultural to me. I’m from Europe originally, been living in the US for many years, but the level of enthusiastic “Love it” attitude still surprises me sometimes, especially given how many people use medication or therapy here.

      (That of course doesn’t mean that mental health problems are less frequent in other countries, I believe that in many more conservative societies they are underdiagnosed and undertreated. I just think the Happy Culture in the US leads to an expectation that you have to be upbeat all the time, when the reality of life is that happiness ebbs and flows. Interestingly, I have observed other health issues being treated similarly: For example, if you have surgery in Europe, you are given Ibu for pain management and are told to rest and off work for sometimes several weeks to recover. Here, stronger painkillers are prescribed quickly, I guess to get people back to work quickly.)

  18. Anon

    What’s your idea bed time and wake up time and why? I have a hard time getting out of bed before I HAVE to, and it screws up my entire circadian rhythm. I need to pick a time to wake up every morning at, but not sure how. I’m a night owl in recovery, I naturally don’t fall asleep until 3:30am or 4am, and naturally wake up at 10:30ish. I want to work on shifting to earlier times but can’t decide on a goal. No kids, working from home, often have virtual court at 9am.

    • Anon

      Ideal, go to sleep around 0400 and get up around 1300.

      Reality, go to sleep at 2300 and get up at 0430 when I commute, or at 0630 when I work remotely.

      I’m a night owl since birth, there are family stories. I have no solution for you, I’ve just suffered through it for decades.

      • anon

        Curious…. have you tried the combo of melatonin (small dose) in the evening, Happy light in the morning to help shift your clock?

        I have a family member who had your exact sleep shift disorder He saw a sleep therapist for sleep apnea, and they were worried about his sleep issue more. It worked well for him to add the melatonin and morning happy light (sat near it during breakfast/coffee).

    • anon

      We have basically the same natural sleep cycle (it’s really tough!). Waking up between 7:30-9:30 is just rough for me, I’d have to set like 6 alarms and would still be groggy the whole day and still never want to fall asleep earlier than normal by the evening.
      The only thing that works for me is getting up ‘before’ my morning. 6:50 still feels like late night to me, and if I get up then, it’s possible to change my whole sleep schedule to ~11/11:30-6:50. My social life generally dies when I do this though because I need a solid 3-4 hours of alone time before I can even contemplate sleeping.
      Melatonin helps otherwise.

  19. BelleRose

    Blind corner solutions that don’t cost an arm and a leg?
    DH and I about to rent our first home, and the kitchen has a 24″x24″ blind corner that is only accessible via under the sink (ie, the corner cabinet is next to the sink cabinet, and you have to open the cabinet under the sink then reach off into the blind corner from there). All the “blind corner solutions” are NOT compatible with our student budget ($400?!?!?), but we’ll desperately need the storage space.
    Ideas?

    • Anon

      How long do you think you’ll live there? You probably won’t regret paying for something that works if you can.

      • BelleRose

        Not sure, probably 1-2 years. But trying to be strict with our budget so as to graduate w/o loans, so have budgeted $500 for furnishing the new place.

    • anon

      I’m not very creative but I’d probably put my stuff in a rubbermaid tub that I could slide into and out of the corner. Sounds like a pain to deal with!

      • BelleRose

        That’s what I was thinking. Just checking to make sure no one else had any brilliant ideas ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
        We’re sacrificing C+ kitchen and bathroom for A- everything else to fit a solid B budget :)

Back to Top

About

Work with Corporette®

Serious Stuff

work fashion blog press mentions